His star has waned a little this season, with his team struggling to cope with the demands of the Champions League and a domestic campaign.

But they salvaged some pride in Europe on Tuesday restricting Manchester City to a 1-0 victory in their group and Van Bronckhorst has had to operate on a limited budget, with the club having suffered financial problems for many years.

Wenger is believed to be hugely impressed by what Van Bronckhorst has achieved with the appreciation being mutual.